On Tuesday, the US President Barack Obama announced that 34,000 troops – which makes about half the U.S. force in Afghanistan - will withdraw by early 2014, taking the US one step nearer to putting an end to the longest war in the history of America. Obama announced the withdrawal in his annual State of the Union address, as he renewed his commitment to the people of America that the 66,000 remaining U.S. troops in Afghanistan would move into a support role this spring. He said, "This drawdown will continue. And by the end of next year, our war in Afghanistan will be over.”
The Afghan government has welcomed that announcement saying that Afghan troops are ready to fill the vacuum that will be left behind by the US forces. However, the Taliban have dismissed the announcement.
Although Obama has announced plan for withdrawal of a bulk of troops from Afghanistan by early next year, the most important question that how many troops will remain in the war-torn country still persists on everyone’s mind. The president did give indication on this.
Previous discussions at the White House focused on a range of options between 3,000 and 9,000 troops, with military commanders most comfortable with the higher-end figures. Nevertheless, it has been confirmed that the US troops are going into support role as early as this spring and any number that will remain in Afghanistan beyond 2014 will have the same role of supporting and training the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF).
The American war, as Obama has said, will be over by the end of next year. But there are worries that with the withdrawal of US and other NATO troops from Afghanistan, a fresh conflict might hit this country. That is because the Taliban, the main insurgent group, are still at large and pose grave threats to peace and stability of Afghanistan.
The Taliban are showing not true intention for peace talks with government of Afghanistan and emphasize on complete withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan. In response to Obama’s announcement, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid in an SMS to reporters in Kabul said that as long as invading forces remained in the country, the jihad would continue. "Decreasing or increasing the number of troops does not solve the problem," He said.
Additionally, NY times has reported that Taliban prisoners recently released by Pakistani government to push peace talks with Afghan government, have once again joined the Taliban.
The US is withdrawing its troops from Afghanistan and security responsibilities of the country are being transferred to ANSF. This speaks of the growing competency and capacity of ANSF and the trust of the international community over it. Nonetheless, the call of time is that the important issues pertaining to Afghanistan, withdrawal, transition and peace talks, should be handled in such a way that the gains of the last decade are not lost and a new window of peace and prosperity opens for the people of Afghanistan.